From February 2-5, Ottawa’s Fairmount Château Laurier will play host to Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) 2016 Annual Dairy Policy Conference (APC). For many years now, the APC has brought together the industry’s leaders from coast to coast to discuss the issues that impact their everyday lives and livelihoods. More importantly, this well-attended gathering has also allowed for dairy farmers to come together once a year to draw up their Policy Statement.
This year, a brand new format will be implemented at the request of dairy farmers who felt they needed more time to discuss critical matters which affect their day to day operations. Hence, the increased number of closed session workshops and roundtables that are planned should be ideal in that they will most certainly prompt even more open and frank exchanges amongst participants. Moreover, the event’s Marketing and Nutrition Forum as well as its Dairy Research Seminar should help shed additional light on these discussions.
Usually attended by industry stakeholders and government officials, not only will the ever so popular Dairy Showcase Reception provide district representatives with a golden opportunity to rub shoulders with members of the newly elected government, but it will also be their chance to lay the foundations of a mutually beneficial relationship which will no doubt turn out to be of the utmost importance given the many challenges facing the dairy industry in the coming years. To that effect, a booklet summarizing the sector’s issues was created as a reference tool for Lobby day. It was forwarded to Ministers MacKay and Freeland and copies will be rendered available for APC attendees. Information pertaining to the proAction® Initiative, the Fuelling Women Champions movement, the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix (CCGP), and the Get Enough partnerships will also be on hand. Engaging all of the guests’ senses, a majestic CCGP winners table, succulent appetizers concocted from recipes appearing on dairygoodness.ca, and in DFC and les Producteurs de lait du Québec’s Milk Calendars as well as a latte bar offering them high end coffee options will help raise their comprehension of the dairy sector to a whole new level!
DFC are already looking forward to next year’s edition as we believe that each dairy farmer should have a say in deciding how we will collectively go about ensuring a promising future for those who follow in our wake.